It shows how quiet things are right now with the fact that Arsenal have a news story titled "Former Arsenal players moving this window".

" data-medium-file="https://shewore.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/img_9523-1.jpg?w=274" data-large-file="https://shewore.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/img_9523-1.jpg?w=625" tabindex="0" role="button" width="809" height="887" src="https://shewore.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/img_9523-1.jpg?w=809" class="wp-image-22465"/>It is one of the players near the bottom that caught my eye - Jeff Reine-Adelaide.

It does not seem too long ago that "The Jeff" was an Arsenal wonderkid and expected to take the step up and become a superstar for the club.

I now learn that it was way back in 2016 that Reine-Adelaide had that sparkling performance against Lyon in the Emirates Cup that got everyone talking.

The then 17-year-old Frenchmen had only been at the club about 6 weeks and here he was doing bits for the Arsenal first team in a friendly.

He had an exquisite touch, fantastic vision, power and pace and fabulous technique. He already looked ready.

The next 18-months saw him in and around the first team, making 8 appearances- mainly in cup competitions. Then he picked up an injury that led to a long spell on the sidelines.

Unimpressive on loan with Angers, Arsenal decided to cut their losses with Reine-Adelaide at just 20. His loan deal with Angers lead to a permanent deal with the Ligue 1 club.

Reine-Adelaide quickly established himself as a regular with Angers and after just one full season, French giants Lyon came knocking.

The PS25 million deal led to a lot of Arsenal fans labelling Reine-Adelaide as one that got away. "Wenger will regret release him" many wrote at the time.

He had a solid first season for Lyon, which reinforced some fans opinion that we had made a mistake. Than, after just 1 season, he was loaned out to Nice.

Nice would decline an option in the deal to sign him permanently and Reine-Adelaide would return to Lyon for 2021/22. He would fail to re-establish himself as a first team regular as injuries would continue to hamper him.

Another loan deal then followed in 2022/23 to Troyes. Incredibly he was still just 24 when this deal went through.

Last summer, he looked to force an exit from Lyon and ended up at Belgium side RWD Molenbeek. A one-year deal was signed as he looked to play regular football, rebuild his career and move back to a top European league.

After 20 games in the Belgium pro-League, an option for a one year extension was not taken up and the form Arsenal starlet is now looking for his 8th professional club. He is still only 26.

Reine-Adelaide's career has been hugely disrupted by injury, which probably explains Arsenal's decision to let him go on the cheap back in 2018.

I do not remember much mentioned about his injury issues back then. Looking backwards, it feels like we were quiet on the matter so as to not ruin his future career. This led to criticism of the club for releasing such a prestigious talent. We did the right thing taking the punches and staying quiet.

The story of Reine-Adelaide is just one more in a long book of players that looked like a superstar as a teenager but failed to have a senior career of note. And this is why I no longer get hung up when youngsters depart.

Your Jadon Sancho's of this world are a one off. 99.9% of "wonderkids" to depart top clubs end up having solid careers at a lower level, but never reach that top level. Most do not become Lamine Yamal or Bukayo Saka.

And that brings me onto Amario Cozier-Duberry.

Like Reine-Adelaide, big things were expected of Cozier-Duberry. After failing to play a game for us, the now 19-year-old has joined Brighton.

Cozier-Duberry has moved for first team football - the path to the Brighton starting XI is easier than Arsenal. And this probably highlights where he is right now.

If he was good enough for Arsenal, he would still be at the club and being promoted as the cover and competition for Saka. But he is not good enough for The Arsenal. Only good enough for Brighton.

Like all youngsters that leave us, I wish him all the best in his future career. Young players can quickly find themselves dropping down the leagues and end up playing non-league at 22, looking for a real job with very few qualifications.

What I do not look forward too is Cozier-Duberry scoring a goal in November, having started 4-games for Brighton, and Arsenal fans then crying that Mikel Arteta has lost a generational talent.

It is more likely that Cozier-Duberry has the career of The Jeff than Lamine Yamal.

Have a good Wednesday

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